KILLER LOOKS ON

Suspect held at scene of ‘crime-of-passion’ murder

MOMENTS after villagers found the body of Kavita Jokhan, who was bludgeoned to death at her Gasparillo home on Wednesday, the killer returned and joined other curious villagers who were looking on as the police processed the crime scene.

But villagers noticed bloodstains on his pants, T-shirt and slippers and told police who immediately arrested the man, a gardener who is 65 and who lives nearby. Police believe the killing was a crime of passion as the woman’s face was disfigured. She was a housewife.

“He came from the back of a neighbour’s house,” an onlooker said yesterday. “He was normal. (Name called) was standing watching like everyone else to see what was going on, to see what the police were doing. But his feet had splashes of blood,” the villager said.

At 3.30 pm, residents of Coco Piece in Bonne Aventure saw 29-year-old Jokhan walking towards her home where she lived with her common-law husband for the past six years. Less than 30 minutes later, a villager found her body under the house in the garage. Jokhan, also called Lisa, was lying on her back, covered with blood.

“She normally washed her dishes downstairs at about 3.30 pm, but she did not get a chance to go upstairs for the dishes. It was as though the killer was waiting for her to come home. Her common-law husband was on his way home from working as a mechanic in Marabella, when he got the news,” said a villager.

Despite the horrific scene, residents said they did not hear any scream or cries for help. They were also unsure what weapon the killer used. Up to yesterday, when Newsday visited, police were in some nearby bushes searching for the weapon. They were also searching near the suspect’s galvanise shack.

Residents told Newsday that earlier on Wednesday, the suspect and victim were seen together...as was the norm. “He has a special love for her. For him, that love means to say that nobody else cannot have her but him. He is violent and has falling-outs with all the neighbours. He would cuss up everybody, including Lisa,” the villager said.

Residents said Jokhan was originally from Chaguanas. The suspect remains in custody while detectives from the Homicide Investigations Bureau (Region III) continue their investigations.